Plant breeding, plant product development, plant product characterization, and plant product commercialization processes often require a large number of particles or components comprising aliquots from a bulk or composite particulate sample, such as a seed sample. For example, in agricultural research, it is often necessary to segregate an aliquot from a bulk sample such that the aliquot includes one or more selected seeds (representing a statistically-significant population, for example). Such aliquots must also sometimes be treated with a selected treatment compound (such as a particular fungicide or insecticide, for example) and packaged with indicia that allows a researcher or field technician to easily identify the aliquot, as well as the handling history and treatment history of the aliquot. An example is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0009962, entitled “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Automated High-Throughput Seed Sample Aliquot Preparation, Treatment, and Dispersal,” which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/806,684, also entitled “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Automated High-Throughput Seed Sample Aliquot Preparation, Treatment, and Dispersal,” both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Current processes for dispensing packages containing one or more particles or components comprising an aliquot as part of an intermediate research and/or manufacturing step, is a complex and labor-intensive one. Conventional techniques require aliquots to be packaged in small paper coin envelopes. In order to deposit the aliquots for planting research plots, the paper coin envelopes are manually opened at the desired planting locations. Not only is this process very time consuming, requiring a great deal of manual labor, but the paper coin envelopes are not well suited for closing and re-opening, much less re-opening by automated processes.
Some improved containers for use in receiving, containing, and dispensing aliquots have been disclosed, for example in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/806,660 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0006627, both entitled “Buckling Clamshell Container for Automated Aliquot and Dispersal Processes,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. These documents generally describe an improved package assembly comprising first and second portions configured to cooperate to contain the particular aliquot. The package assemblies described in these documents are easily closed and re-opened, easily and economically manufactured, and may be provided in a one-piece assembly. Moreover, the package assemblies may be re-used.
However, there is a further need in the art for a method of handling such package assemblies. The method should provide for automated handling of one or more package assemblies and should facilitate separating first and second portions to release at least a portion of the particulate aliquot. Furthermore, there is a need for a method of handling package assemblies that identifies a package assembly label comprising a indicia of the aliquot.